Erika (song)
"Erika" (or "Auf der Heide blüht ein kleines Blümelein" ("On the Heath a Little Flower Blooms") is a marching song of the German military. The song was composed by Herms Niel in the 1930s (no clearly date is given), and it soon came into usage by the Wehrmacht, especially the Heer and to a lesser extent, the Kriegsmarine. The theme of the song is based on "Erika" being both a common German female name and the German word for heather. In itself, the song has no military themes, beyond the fact that the narrator (evidently a soldier, though this is not explicitly stated) is away from his beloved and recalls her when seeing the plant which has the same name. The song was originally published in 1938 by the publishing firm Louis Oertel in Großburgwedel. It was a great success even before the start of World War II. Niel, who joined the NSDAP in early May 1933 and became a leading Kapellmeister at the Reichsarbeitdienst, created numerous marches that largely served the National Socialist propaganda campaigns. In particular the Reichspropagandaminister Joseph Goebbels, noticed early that down-to-earth, simple songs were a useful propaganda tool. The song (along with Panzerlied) is used by Kuromorimine Girls Academy. |- | style="padding:5px;" | ♦ LYRICS ♦ German Lyrics= ---- Auf der Heide blüht ein kleines Blümelein und das heißt: Erika Heiß von hunderttausend kleinen Bienelein wird umschwärmt Erika denn ihr Herz ist voller Süßigkeit zarter Duft entströmt dem Blütenkleid Auf der Heide blüht ein kleines Blümelein und das heißt: Erika In der Heimat wohnt ein kleines Mägdelein und das heißt: Erika Dieses Mädel ist mein treues Schätzelein und mein Glück, Erika Wenn das Heidekraut rot-lila blüht singe ich zum Gruß ihr dieses Lied Auf der Heide blüht ein kleines Blümelein und das heißt: Erika In mein'm Kämmerlein blüht auch ein Blümelein und das heißt: Erika Schon beim Morgengrau'n sowie beim Dämmerschein schaut's mich an, Erika Und dann ist es mir, als spräch' es laut Denkst du auch an deine kleine Braut? In der Heimat weint um dich ein Mägdelein und das heißt: Erika |-|English Lyrics= ---- On the heath, there blooms a little flower and it's called Erika Eagerly a hundred thousand little bees swarm around Erika For her heart is full of sweetness a tender scent escapes her blossom-gown On the heath, there blooms a little flower and it's called Erika Back at home, there lives a little maiden and she's called Erika That girl is my faithful little darling and my joy, Erika! When the heather blooms in a reddish purple I sing her this song in greeting On the heath, there blooms a little flower and it's called Erika In my room, there also blooms a little flower and it's called Erika Already In the grey of dawn, as it does at dusk It looks at me, Erika! And then it's to me as if it's saying aloud Are you thinking of your fiancée? Back at home, a maiden weeps for you and she's called Erika |} Trivia *Kuromorimine's second in command Erika Itsumi is named after this song. *The song appears without lyrics and recomposed maintaining the rhythm with different instruments. *The song is like the German equivalent of Katyusha which is about a woman waiting for her beloved one to come back from the war. *This song also appeared as an OST in another WWII themed anime, Strike Witches. And is sung in an appropriate Japanese Lyrics. Videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1V0cVBb94fw Category:Kuromorimine Girls' High School Category:Songs